Conflict transformation futures

This chapter explores the theory of conflict transformation and its integration with futures thinking. Conflict transformation sets itself apart from other conflict resolution methods by probing deeper into the root causes of conflicts. It emphasizes addressing conflicts based on interests and needs, with the dual objectives of resolving immediate conflicts and preventing their recurrence in the future. Unlike reactive approaches, conflict transformation takes a proactive stance, emphasizing the need for a long-term vision that extends beyond immediate concerns and crisis-driven reactions. It views conflict as a dynamic process, oscillating between de-escalation and escalation, defining peace as an ever-evolving quality of relationships. Understanding why individuals and groups engage in violent conflict and grasping the internal and external dynamics affecting conflict duration are pivotal aspects of conflict transformation. The chapter thus provides the typologies of violence and peace which categorize various forms of violence, including direct, structural, cultural, gender-based, economic, epistemological, psychological, and ecological aspects, along with different dimensions of peace: negative, positive, and holistic. The chapter also introduces the principles of conflict transformation futures, which are as follows: Principle 1: Utilizing the future to understand, frame, and reframe existing conflicts; Principle 2: Employing the future constructively to transform conflicts; Principle 3: Acknowledging the plurality of futures and their relation to conflict transformation; Principle 4: Emphasizing the interconnectedness of inner and outer conflict transformation; and Principle 5: Recognizing that conflicts exist along a continuum with multiple stages, utilizing the Time Intensity Conflict (TIC) framework.